Gordon Parks, the photographer behind this image was an active artist in the mid-twentieth century, often documenting events and people associated with the Civil Rights Movement. The woman in this photo was, Ella Watson, who worked as a cleaner in government buildings in Washington D.C. The juxtapositions of the cleaning tools she's holding and the American flag behind her demonstrates the irony of a "free country" such as the United States still upholding segregation. Watson's straight-faced disposition mirrors that of the famous American Gothic (1930).
SKU: 11917
Creator: Gordon Parks
Date: August 1942
Location: Library of Congress